Someone I know from our days at Ft. Carson lost her mother this week when someone ran a red light and hit her car. As soon as I read about it on Facebook, my own heart skipped a beat and I felt the same pain/shock as the day I heard about Kirk...

There are no words that can make this person feel better, all you can say is that you care and you are praying for them, and that means the world.

Losing someone is devastating...but losing them suddenly, accidentally brings a whole new dimension to the devastation. There is no time to say good bye...there is no time to come to terms with it...there is no time to adjust to life without them. It is sudden and quite simply takes your breath away, and you have to remember to breath.

Even after almost 2 years I find myself thinking of Kirk, and then suddenly my breath changes and I remember he is gone...

Today I wrote on Facebook that I would start my last month count down tomorrow (Dec 1)...As I was thinking about that earlier tonight I almost started crying. I can't believe that we are so very close to being done. He has been gone for 11 months, all of 2009 (except 15 very short days). That is all we have seen each other in the past 11 months, 15 days....

And to get my husband home and the rest of 3 BCT someone is starting their 12 months apart, an unending cycle that doesn't seem to be going away any time soon. So even though I am thrilled to death that our deployment is almost done, I will be thinking and praying for those who are just starting.

Today I am thankful for so many things, my husband, for serving his country for the past 23 years. I would like to share a small quote a friend recently wrote to me "I feel grateful for having been there with Terry...and I do recognize the sacrifice he makes...but he does so gracefully and with a humility, setting an example for all of us lucky enough to know him."
They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, I certainly can say that I can't imagine my life without him. We were certainly meant to be together.

I am thankful for my kids, even though some (most) of the time we don't see eye to eye, I know that at the end of the day that they know I love them with all my heart, and that they love me with at least part of theirs....

I am thankful for my family spread out across the country, how I wish I was with you during these holidays. Thank you for your love and support.

I am thankful for my "Army Family". Everywhere we go we add to the family, I have been very blessed to have so many extraordinary people come into my life. It is how we thrive in this crazy life we lead, we meet more family at every location we move to. Thank you friends.

I am thankful for the good health we have had on this deployment, with all those nasty germs out there we have managed to miss most of them.

I am thankful for all of this incredible weather we have been having.

I am thankful for my memories of Kirk, not a day goes by that I don't have a thought of him pop into my head, only to have my heart hurt when I think of the time we won't have with him.

And I am thankful for Mick, Liz, Derek and Ashlee, for surviving an unimaginable event and getting up every day and putting one foot in front of another.

Okay so between being really busy and not knowing what to write, I have been a very bad blogger. Will regret it someday when I want to look back and know how this year long deployment went.

Everyone is doing well, this week was Dylan's teacher conferances, there are no appointments you just go and wander around and sign up to see a teacher. I met with most of his teachers and all had great things to say about him. More than once I heard "he is a pleasure to have in class" WOW my kid!!! I am thrilled that his grades are closer to where his abilities are. I know with just a bit more effort he could have all A's, but he has to choose that is what he wants, and he isn't there yet.

The little kids started after school care this week, so I could get more hours in for work and wouldn't you know that this week was so busy with other things that I really didn't get any more hours into work.

Work is great, just a few bumps in the road, but I hope that in the next couple of weeks those bumps get smoother. I am still enjoying it. I think in just the short time I have been doing this I have already helped lots of people.

The deployment is winding down quickly, we already have one flight home and are expecting another one on Thanksgiving. In December they should be coming every few days. Terry was due to come home between Christmas and New Years, but I was told this week that often they don't do flights during that week, so who knows when he will get here.

I am sure there are times in your life when you looked back and said "God was taking care of us"...whether it be on a test in school, keeping your kids safe, keeping your deployed spouse safe...on and on. I too have those moments...some of which I would like to share.

When we were living in Germany, my dad suffered a heart attack...he would need to have by pass surgery within days. This would be his second bypass surgery...at the time no one told me that the survival rate after a second surgery is much lower than after a first one...after much debate we decided not to return to the states...he survived and recovered quickly...God was watching out for us.

An accident claimed the life of my nephew weeks after moving to Fort Drum...Terry was not yet deployed...thank goodness, God was watching out for us.

I believe with whole heartly that God put us in this house in this neighborhood. Of course not all as been roses, but I can honestly say that I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I am blessed by incredible, giving neighbors and I wouldn't change a thing.

Often times it is hard to see God's blessings till after time has passed, but they are there.

As 2nd Brigade says their goodbyes, 3 BCT starts their redeployment briefs....life at Drum...someone is always leaving and someone is always coming home.

Even though it is not my husband leaving, it is sad to watch your friends go thru it. I know it isn't easy for anyone and my heart and prayers go out to all of you saying goodbye.

We are still hoping Terry will be home around the 1st of the year...give or take a week or two. The boys and I are trying to figure how we will celebrate Christmas and still do something more when Terry gets home.

We have gotten a ton of rain over the past 2 or 3 weeks cancelling many soccer games for the little boys...I guess we should be thankful it isn't snow (YET). We might see some of the white stuff next week...I hope we only see a handful of flakes.

The boys are enjoying school, and other than one day of Jason deciding he didn't want to go, there has been no drama.

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